The Trick To Looking 10 Pounds Lighter In Your Wedding Dress

There's no doubt that religiously attending spin classes and sticking with a strict healthy diet in the months before your big day can help you look and feel fabulous when it comes time for your walk down the aisle, however, there's another (much more easily achievable) way to ensure your body looks its best in your wedding dress. Going for a professional bra fitting and investing in the right undergarments well before the main event can have a truly transformative effect.

"Getting a bra fitting is so important," says Maggie Hess, a fit consultant for Wacoal Canada. "When you have the right undergarment everything hangs so much better, your clothes fit better, and you can look 10 pounds lighter!"

Hess explains that when it comes to shopping for undergarments, most women are doing it all wrong. "Most wear the band too loose and the cup too small," she explains. "Ladies also get really hung up on bra sizes, but a number doesn't mean anything." Hess recommends trying on every bra you're considering buying. "Don't just assume that you're a 36C and go with that," she advises. "Not every brand fits the same and not every style fits the same. Sometimes even black bras and beige bras in the same style will fit differently! Just because you like it on the hanger, it may not be the bra for you."

When it comes to your wedding day undergarments, Hess says it helps to have some options purchased before going dress shopping. "If you don't have the right undergarment with you and you try on a bias-cut satin dress, for example, you might immediately rule out that style of dress. Without the right bra on hand you might avoid trying on dresses that could be very flattering on you," she explains.

For women with larger chests, Hess says support should come from the band of the bra, not necessarily the straps. "The band will give you the most support and three to four hooks in the back of a bra will give you more support so you're not sagging," she explains. "Also, a three section cup can move your breast tissue to the front so you look less wide." Hess says that full-chested women should also gravitate towards double-lined fabrics and look into minimizers if the goal is to look both lifted and less busty. "If you have the right bra you might not even need shapewear," she says.

Smaller-chested women can opt for pushup bras, maybe with an extra pad on the inside, for a bit of extra lift and fullness or go in the complete opposite direction with a more natural look. "I've noticed lately that a lot of smaller-chested women don't necessarily want to look bigger so in that case they'll go with a bralet or a lacy balconette bra with a vertical seam that will lift the bust and give shape and a bit of cleavage without showing under clothes."

Hess notes that finding the right bra can even save you money on alteration costs. "I was fitting a lady, she was the mother of the bride, and she had a beautiful dress. She thought she needed alterations for the dress she purchased but she just needed the right bra to make it fit better."

Finding the right bra for your big day also means looking for a piece that's high quality. Wacoal bras are some of the best on the market because of the design process, fabric and fit. "Every style and every size of Wacoal bra, from design to production, is fitted on real women. It's about a nine-month process and they use metric system so the measurements are much more precise," says Hess. "I do dress making so I know what I'm talking about," she adds.